Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-20
DAILY HERALD.
SOUTH GILA CANAL.
a Fine Country TO be Opened ul
10 Cultivation.

n Fine Country 10 DC OReneW up
10 Cultivation.
Mr.. O. F. Thornton, Of the South
Gila canal company, arrived in the
city by yesterday train and furnished
the Gazette with the following infor-
nation relating to the construction of
that important factor in the future of
the section of the country which it
will bring to the front as one of the
finest fruit growing districts in the
territory:
The company has been regularly in
corporated, and is known as the South
Gila Canal Company with capital
stock of 100000 divided into
10000 shares at par value of $50
per share. Its incorporators are Rob
ert Mcpherson, of California, w. f.
Pope, of st. Louis, and o. f. Thorn
ton Of Phoenix. The incorpor-
ators, together with G. w. Mauk
and G. w. Cameron, will consti-
tute q board Of trustees. The object OF
the company is the enlargement OF the
Cameron ditch to width of twenty
feet at the bottom, to carry four feet OF
water, and its extension from its head
near the west end of thee Oatman canon,
nearly opposite Aqua Caliente on the
south side of the Gila river, and its lar
ther extension to Texas Hill, distance
Of thirty miles. 1t will cover from
1900 to 10000 acres Of the very
finest lands Of the Gila bottom and
Msricopa and Yuma counties. The
preliminary survey and location OF the
canal have been completed and the
contract let to w. +. Pope, the work
to- be completed on or before
March l, 1880. The principal place
of business Of the company Is
at Azatec, five miles from the station
of that name on the Southern Pacific
railroad in Yuma county, where an
Office will be built in the next sixty
days. A telephone line will be built
from the lower end to the head OF the
canal connecting with intermediate
points for the convenience OF its opera
ton.
The lands contiguous to it are
adapted to the growth of the orange,
lemon, lime, fig, olive, date, banana,
and all deciduous fruits, and the sea
son is as early AZ that OF Yuma, while
it is fully one month ahead OF the
most forward parts of Southern Cali
fornia. This one feature will bring
the country into favorable prominence
as a fruit-growing section, to say
nothing of its superiority OF soil and
climate.
Mr.. Mcpherson, who is an old and
experienced grower Of grapes, and
whose vineyard in California has
national reputation, paid his first visit
to the country to be opened up by this
enterprise last January, and, after
looking over the canal location, was
30 favorably impressed with the lands
and their contiguity to the railroad
that he determined to undertake Its
construction.
The capital stock, in the estimation
of competent and experienced men, is
considered fair valuation for the
franchise. :.
The head of the canal is considered
by those versed in such affairs to be
spIendidly located for its economical
construction and for obtaining the
greatest volume of water afforded
by the Gila river for the. irri-
cation of the vast bodies OF fer
tile lands through which it passes.
As an instance of the advantages Of
fered by this country over California,
it needs only to be stated that in that
State raw lands are held at $500 per
acre and water costs $1,000 per inch,
while in this valley the lands being
government are subject to entry and
the cost of water with the COM
pletion of this canal will be NOM
inal compared with California, it
being the intention of the company to
furnish it at a cost not to exceed $l.5O
per acre per year. In addition to their
canal project the same gentlemen have
incorporated another company to be
known as the South Gila Development
company, its objects being similar to
those of the Arizona improvement COM
pany OF this city. The management are
going to turn their attention to the de-
velopment of that country and will
hold out ind 'cements to capital to
seek investments in their midst.
Mr.. Thornton further says the peo-
pie in that section are awake to
their interests and are jubilant
over their prospects. Well, they may
be, for nature has done a noble part
in giving them fertile soil with an
abundance of water to cause it to
yield rich harvests in return for their
labors. With such men at the helm
as those mentioned in the beginning
of this article and with the blessings
of nature the time is not far distant
when they can rise up and thank both
nature and man for their respective
parts in converting their barren desert
into productive vineyards and waving
fields of grain.-[ Arizona Gazette.